Needle



oci. s, 1929.

W. D.v VAN DYKE NEEDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet ATTORNEY 4oci. s, 1929.

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NEEDLE Original Filed March 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES /PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM DEADERICK VAN DYKE, F CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGN OR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO KAYSER HOSIERY MOTOR MEND CORPORATION, OF WILMING- TON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE NEEDLE Application led March 7, 1928, Seria-1 No. 259,837. Renewed March 29, 1929.

This invention relates to knitting needles of the t pe disclosed in my copendingv application erial No. 212,811, iiledAugust 13, 1927.

novel featuresand details of construction, to`

be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In thedrawingsz- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a needle constructedin accordance with the invention, the latch being shown closed.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the latch open.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig ure 2.

Figure 4 is a View showing the initial po- 3o sition of the needle and the latch as the needle is assed through the loop of the work.

igure 5 is a view showing the next/position of the needle andy-illustrating the manner in which the loop is received between the handle e5 and the latch of the needle Figure 6 is a view showing the next posi! tion of the needle as the latter is moved upwardly in the formation of a stitch.

Figure 7 is a view showing the next position of the needle and illustrating the manner in which the adjacent thread of the work is drawn through the loop, the latch being shown in its position which is prior to its automatic return to normal position.

The needle is primarily intended for making a simple lock or crochet stitch, the purpose bein to provide a needle by means of which a run in a knitted article may be mended. For this purpose. the needle is particularly constructed to facilitate the stitching together of the threads indicated at a and b, by a simple movement of the needle at the end of a run.

The needle comprises a shank 10 which is formed at one end with a hook 11, the neck 12 of this hook being made relatively thin and of less diameter than the shank 10 so as to afford the hook in lits entirety, the desired degree of resiliency for the purpose of automatically returning the latch 13 to its norml position after the formation of each stitch. The latch 13 extends an appreciable distance beyond the end of the hook 11, and this latch may if desired be provided with a groove 14-to receive the end of the hook when the parts are ararranged `as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

As thus far described, the needle is constructed in accordance with the disclosure in my application above mentioned and in its use, the latch -13 is arranged in an openposition substantially parallel with the shank 10. The needle is then` passed downwardly through theI loop a which has become sepafi rated from the adjacent thread b of the particular piece of material being mended. The manner in which the needle is passed Vdownward through the loop 'a is illustrated in Fig'- ure 4 of the drawings, this being the initial movement of the needle as above stated. When the needle is moved upwardly, the loop a passes behind the latch 13 as shownin Figures 2 and 5.of the drawingsl During the continued upward movement ofthe needle,

the hook 11 engages the adjacent thread b,

while' at the same time the loop a moves the latch 13 on its pivot to the position illustrated in Figure 6, wherein it-,will be noted that the latch not only engages the hook 11 but projects a slight distance beyond the latter. Now as the needle is moved upwardly to draw the thread 'b through the loop a in the formation of a' stitch, the latch 13 is automatically returned to its normal position. and the hook of the needle is so arranged with relation to the next thread b asto be in readiness forthe formation of another stitch.

To accomplish this, it will be noted that as the needle is being moved upwardly to draw the thread b through the loop a, the latter is l vand also upon the hook of the needle.

vcause the neck 12 to slightly flex.

passing downwardly over the inclined latch 13 thereby exerting a pressure upon the lagh Y reason of the fact that the neck 12 is reduced to afford thel hook the desired degree of resiliency, it is manifest that this pressure which is exerted by the loop ai upon the latch 13 Will Consequently, as the loop moves oif or away from the end of the latch 13, pressure is released from the neck 1:2, thereby allowing the hook to return to its normal position, under Which action the latch 13 is automatically drawn upward to its normal or initial position. In Figure 7 there is illustrated the position of the loop a just before the latch is separated from this loop.

The operation just described is the same as disclosed in my copending application refeired to, but inpractice it has been found that in drawing the needle up, the latch in its back or open pcsition is liable to catch under the next adjacent thread or 1ioop Z) and consequently Will close before the hook 11 has caught this thread and thereby permit the needle to come entirely out of the fabric. Then the needle is operating correctly, the latch is closed by the thread a which is looped around the shank of the needle and slides down behind the latch, but it is evident that should the latch stand out or be positioned a little too far away from the shank 10, the thread b is liable to get behind it. If this occurs, the hook will be closed so that the thread b cannot be caught.

In order to overcome this disadvantage, the shank of the needle is extended transversely along one side as shown at 15 and this extended portion is of less thickness than the thickness of the shank so that a recess 16 is provided which extends longitudinally of the shank. When in its open position, the latch 13 occupies a position Within the recess 1G with the outer edge of the latch flush or substantially flush with the adjacent edge of the extended portion 15 of the needle shank. The

end of the shank, and a latch pivotally secured to the shank and movable to a position to close the hook and to a position Within the recess.

v2. A knitting needle comprising a shank having a longitudinally disposed corner recess extending along one edge, a hook at one end of the shank, a' latch pivotally secured to the shank and movable to a position to close the hook or to a position within the recess'below the planeI of the shank, and means to space the latch an appreciable distance from the adjacent side wall of the recess.

3. A knitting needle comprising a shank, a hook at one end of the shank, a rib extending longitudinally along one side of the shank and offset laterally from the hook, and a latch pivotally secured to the shank in the same longitudinal plane With the hook and movable to a position to close the hook and to a position. to open the hook, said latch being spaced laterally from and parallel with the rib, with the outer edge of the latch in the plane of the outer edge of the rib When said latch is in open position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. VCILLIAM DEADERICK VAN DYKE.

latch 13 is also slightly spaced from the extended portion 15 of the shank soas to allow 'the loop a Which rides down the shank, to en# gage behind the latch, While the extended edge portion 15 will hold off theloop b so that this loop Will pass downward to be engaged by the hook 11. The loop a will thus trip the latch and take the stitch and the operation of the needle as previously described Will be assured.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed isz- 1. A knitting needle comprising a shank having a longitudinally disposed corner recess extending along one edge, a hookat one 

